Transmissions: Rebuild or buy Rebuilt... or What?

[Marty S]

So old Dodge Diesel 2500 4x4, engine still runs like new, steering is awesome with Borgeson box and 2011 upgrade, brakes recently redone, front end goodies all done and tight, just the body needs some new black duct tape tape around the fenderwells.

So went to tranny shop about 2 months ago for annual service. They rebuilt automatic tranny 200,000 ago +/- and they tell me that the tranny is shot, much metal on the magnet and said lotsa clutch garbage in the oil or something like that, and they want me to rebuild again... $4350.00... however, I would rather not spend that much. Shifted so nice, strong acting, but not now, acting funny. Also told me to only expect 200,000 on a rebuild, and each time you rebuild less likely to last as long as not all parts get replaced.

Options: rebuild as stated $4300.00 or buy a rebuilt for $2800 -$3500 depending if regular or HD. Wrecker tranny an option but where would I find a good one on short notice? It's the heart of trapping season and not the end of the world cuz I bought a second diesel to sub in when main truck is down. But I do prefer the 03 to the 04 muchly! One more option, I think it was $1800 USD on eBay for refurbished, I'm close to border so shipping isn't end of world.


Give me tranny wisdom??? Not interested in buying a new $80,000 truck, can't imagine what modern injectors cost these days. I'm just a poor kiyute trapper trying to make my way in the universe!

[Rancid Crabtree]

At 200,000 km the tranny rebuild will cost about .02 $ per km
Pretty cheap driving. I'm the same way with my old cummins truck, cost of repairs will never be a issue because of how reliable it is I can always drive my value back out of it.
Not sure which is the best option but don't over think it just get her running again.

[jstubbs]

If you really plan on owning the truck for a lot of more miles yet, buck up the cash and get a real HD NADP heavy hauler trans. Should darn near outlast the truck at that point.

[1899b]

NADP was ok to deal with on my 03 Dodge 2500.








Lots of Bucks though....

[KBF]

www.car-part.com

If you are thinking of a wrecker this site is a database for hundreds of wreckers out there. Had a Vortec engine shipped from spruce grove to Lethbridg for $110 I think it was

[Marty S]

What kind of money for the NADP tranny's?

[wildalberta]

with the terrible track record of the 48re and your want to keep the truck for the long haul, I wouldn't be thinking twice about a new aftermarket trans from a reputable builder. most likely gonna be a 6-8k adventure but it will last the duration of the trucks life.

[artie]

Originally Posted by Marty S

What kind of money for the NADP tranny's?

I goggled the NADP tranny and it seems they are not without problems.

[operator john]

I purchased a '98 Dodge Dually a few years back. Decided to to do complete oil changes including the tranny. Found three pieces of the overdrive spring in the pan. Had a rebuild done. It was guaranteed for 480 hp and 850 Ft/lbs of torgue. I never planned to produce that but I wanted the torque for towing.Long story short. Never have had any issue after rebuild, but rebuild cost almost as much as the truck. 10 years later no regrets. As everything in life, buy once and cry.

https://www.dieselperformance.com/page/homepage

[amosfella]

That cummins engine if maintained and not hopped up in the HP department will likely outlast the rest of the truck. So, If you intend to use that truck till diesel fuel and waste veggie oil is extinct, I'd get the heavy hauler type of transmission. I hear that the rear ends are good, as are the front diffs. Funny that they picked the transmission to be the fail point.

Might want to add an additional transmission oil cooler to the mix as well...

[amosfella]

Originally Posted by artie

I goggled the NADP tranny and it seems they are not without problems.

Is anything without problems?? If that's what you're looking for, you might as well hide in the basement with a blanket over your head...

[silver lab]

Did I miss what year the truck is?

[1899b]

Originally Posted by Marty S

What kind of money for the NADP tranny's?

7800.00 torque and tranny

[grouse_hunter]

BD Diesel is a reputable Canadian outfit that offers heavy duty transmissions. I have a few of their parts in my first gen Dodge and am very happy with the quality. Instead of upgrading to a HD automatic tranny I had a NV4500 installed.

[brslk]

If the truck is otherwise solid, get a good heavy duty aftermarket transmission.
It'll hurt up front but if the rest of the truck is good to go, it should rust to pieces before you have any issues with the truck.
It's a crap shoot buying used unless you can find one from a wreck with low mileage but even then, it still won't last as long as an aftermarket heavy duty.
Rebuilding the one you have or a supplied rebuilt doesn't offer much better odds than just buying a low mileage from a wrecker.

Aside from my day job, auto repair, body and paint is my thing.
Did both for 30 years professionally until health issues and now, when I'm not all over the country doing my boring job, I repair cars/trucks/RVs/motorcycles.
Everything from oil changes to engine swaps.
Small dent/rust repair to complete resto paint jobs/color changes.

I'm not advertising my services, I just like giving a little back ground on where I'm coming from when I offer advice.

If you want to know about carpentry, ask anyone else. I shouldn't even be allowed near a 2X4 and a claw hammer.

My motto is, I know enough to know when I don't know enough.

[Marty S]

It's an 03.

Just did brakes and put a $500 DODGE waterpump in (Napa one did maybe 100,000 km, original did 650,000)

A while ago now...
Borgeson Steering box $1000
2011 linkage upgrade $700 I think?
NADP stainless muffler

I even have some eBay fender flares sitting in a box waiting to be installed. The black duct tape just doesn't quite blend with the charcoal grey paint, except when it's muddy out.

[pa_of_6]

The good ole 48re tranny!

My son bought a truck with one in it.
We did n't know then that the bands need to be checked and adjusted every 25,000k...but now we do!

So long story short
My sons and I did the rebuild ourselves. and really, they are not that bad to rebuild, the gears and clutches are just gears and clutches. No rocket science there.

Where the voodoo come in is the valve body. Get the pros to do that BUT stay away from CANWEST.(lump of coal to owner this xmas)

Those nice people took 600$ from us and didn't stand behind their work.
We ended up going elsewhere to get the problem fixed and those other folks did a truly great job. The put the valve body on a tranny in the shop and run it through its paces to make sure it is working right before they give it back to you...great place and people!

So after the long road to rebuild the 48re tanny, I learnt more about a transmission than I ever want to know, but it was good learning.

In retrospect would I do it again...yes I would rebuild it myself.

I think the rebuild kit was 600-700$ from Parts 4 Automatic Transmissions and the valvebody was 600 to get rebuilt,

pm me if you want

[silver lab]

I could be wrong but I thought the 03 had the 47re. It was told to me that the 48re didn't come out until 2004.5.
Mine is a 04.5 and has the the 48re. Every 50,000 km I change the filter and retorque the band's and it has been a good tranny for me at 240,000km and I pull some big loads all the time.
OP: I would call Dodge and run your vin# and see what you have.
I would have it rebuilt rather than getting one from the wrecker. I've played that game and it's not worth it.

[Muliemaster]

[QUOTE=silver lab;3692756]I could be wrong but I thought the 03 had the 47re. It was told to me that the 48re didn't come out until 2004.5.
QUOTE]

Not quite correct. 2003.5 came with a 48re. Earlier versions came with the 47re. I had a 2003.5 for years with the 48re.

Check out cumminsforum.com and do a search. you'll be able to find what transmission is in the truck based on VIN numbers.

[1899b]

My 2003 5.9HO definitely runs the 48re....

[spoiledsaskhunter]

in 2012, the standard tranny started acting up in my 3500 dually, so i took it to a diesel repair place in great falls........they put a rebuilt from Brown's reman in billings in it. don't know how the price of a standard compares to a auto tho.

dollar at the time wasn't too bad and the total was a little less than 3 grand. great place to have work done....very nice people

sounds like it has AC disease and a new tranny will fix it.

[Marty S]

I had the original tranny rebuilt once, rebuilder guy sez that first times nice, second time not as nice, third time worser and gets worstest. The rebuild only rebuilds some parts and the other parts just get more miles and more miles and undoubtably more wear.

So I jumped, ordered up a NADC or whatever theyre called from a local shop. They were cheaper than ordering direct. Not a tranny shop tho, so I hope I dont regret it. Guy is a good mechanic. I figured the NAPC tranny will be a first time rebuild... I hope? But I better get the thing serviced annually.

Thanks for the offer pa_of_6, but I'm not qualified, I don't even seem to be able to work on my kiyutes in my old age much! I could take truck apart but I don't think I could put it back together. Why is it that it always works that way?

I got me a spare diesel truck too in my old age, it is the 2004.5 so which tranny is better and what different things do I need to do?